Parachute and process of folding the same



L. C. MITCHELL.

PARACHUTE AND PROCESS OF FOLDING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 21. 1920.

1,398,303,, I Patented Nov. 29,1921...

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

LL 0. MITCHELL.

PARACHUTE AND PROCESS OF FOLDING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21, 1920.

Patented Nov 29, 11921..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

LUCIEN O. MITCHELL, F CHICAGU, IELJENOIS.

PGH'UTE AND PROCESS OF FOLDING THE S in? E.

messes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N o v. 29, 921..

Application filed October 21,.1920. Serial No. 418,437.

esses of Folding the Same, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to parachutes and has as an object the provision of a device of this nature that will come into action when thrown over-board from an aeroplane without danger of the weight supporting cords becoming snarled. A further object is the provision of a process of folding the parachute provided by the invention.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying draw-' ings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ex panded parachute;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a folded parachute;

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail side elevations of a cord pocket illustrating the mode of inserting the cord therein while folding the parachute;

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of an insertinc: stick with cord in place;

1 ig. 6 is a detail elevation of the structure of Fig. 5;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are perspective views showing difierent forms of inserting sticks.

To lessen local strains on the fabric of the parachute the cords 10 are preferably placed on the outside of the cloth 11, as shown, in Fig. 1, and are arranged to run continuously over the top of the vent712, each cord having its two ends attached at opposite 'sidesof the ring 13. To keep the.v

cords in correct location they are secured to the fabric 11, as by passing under straps 14.

To receive the cords when the parachuteis folded, pockets 15 are shown, there being a pocket for each end of each cord. The cords-are secured to the fabric by. means of straps 14 in the interior of the pockets 15 and down to the edge of the fabric. The

pockets are preferably closed at the tops,

17 to prevent any turns of the coil of cord from escaping to cause a snarl.

The method of inserting the coiled cords in the pocket provided by the invention comprises coiling the cord on a suitable implement, inserting the implement and coil into the pocket and withdrawing the implement. Different forms of implement for the purpose are shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. In

a stick 18 having a notch 19 in its top to prevent thecord slipping ofi'.

To coil the cord on the stick, a length of cord equal to the length of the pocket is measured off and the cord beyond the'length is laid in the notch at the end of the stick and bound to the tip of the stick by several turns of the cord, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The tip of the stick and applied .-.its simplest form the implement comprises i turns are then grasped bythe hand of the operator and the cord is coiled on the stick by passing it around the butt of the stick until substantially the entire length of the cord between the fabric and the ring 13 is coiled on the stick, in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The stick bearing the cord is then inserted in the pocket as shown in Fig. 4 and, holding the bottom of the coil by grasping the outside of the pocket, the stick is withdrawn from the coil leaving -it in the pocket. The stick istapered sufiiciently to render its withdrawal easy.

To increase the ease of withdrawal of the inserting stick it may be made partially collapsible, as shown in Fig. 7, by a saw kerf 20 extending from the tip downward a substantial portion of its length. With this form of stick, later turns will press the sides of the stick together, thus slightly loosening the earlier turns and making withdrawal of the stick easy. Another form of collapsible stick 21 may be formed of wire, as shown in Fig. 9. This form comprises a piece of wire or rod bent on itself and a' the fabric. Moreover, as the cord leaves the coil the location upon the edge of the parachute where it passes out of the pocket Wllll.

be shifted from side to side, thus distributing the friction and preventing burning of the fabric. 1

Minor chan es may be made in the physical embodi ent of the invention and in the steps of the method without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

l. A folded parachute comprising, the combination with the folded parachute body of tubular pockets radially arranged upon the parachute body adjacent the perimeter thereof, each pocket being open at its'outer end, and shroud cords each extending from the perimeter of the body inwardly in substantially a straight line through one of the pockets to the inner end of the pocket and thence outwardly'through the pocket in a helical coil substantially filling the pocket from its inner end to its said open outer end.

2. A folded parachute comprising the combination with the folded parachute body of tubular pockets radially arranged upon the parachute body adjacent the perimeter thereof, each pocket being open at its outer end,

and shroud cords each extending radially outward over the parachute body from the center thereof to the inner end of one of the said pockets andthrough the pocket to the perimeter of the parachute body, thence inwardly through the same pocket to the inner end of the pocket and finally outw wardly through the pocket in a helical coil substantially filling the pocket from its inner end to its said open outer-end.

3. The method of packing the shroud aeaeoe cords of a parachute comprising a body with body adjacent its perimeter which consists in winding a part of each cord beyond a length of the same immediately adjacent the perimeter of the parachute body equal to the length of one of the said tubular pockets into a helical coil of substantially the length of the pocket and inserting the said length of each cord and the corresponding helical coil into the pocket through its open end with the freeend of the cord projecting from the said open end of the pocket.-

i 4:. The method of packing the shroud cords of a parachute comprising a body with the said cords extending from the perimeter of the body and tubular pockets .open at their outer ends radially arranged upon the body adjacent its perimeter which consists in winding a part of each cord beyond a length of the same immediately adjacent the perimeter of the parachute body equal to the length of one of the said tubular pockets upon a stick to form upon the stick a helical coil of substantially the length of the pocket, inserting the stick with the cord wound thereon into the pocket through its open end thereby also drawing into the pocket the said length of cord which is immediately adj acent the perimeter of the parachute body, and withdrawing the stick from the pocket and the said helical coil.

LUOIEN C. MITCHELL. 

